HMC earns LEED Gold for office renovation

When the Harvard Management Company designed new office space to support their dynamic and collaborative organizational model, they also sought to align the renovation with the University’s commitment to environmental stewardship and sustainability. The result was a more efficient workspace and a LEED Gold certification from the United States Green Building Council (USGBC).

“An important goal for our project was to support HMC’s investment mission with a workspace that was sensitive to our impact on the environment,” said CEO Jane Mendillo.

Energy efficient lighting was carefully specified, including the use of LED lamps and automatic controls that turn off lights when natural light is available or no one is in the room. Low partitions at workstations maximize views for employees and increase access to daylight. The use of high-efficiency plumbing fixtures are projected to reduce water use by 34%, the equivalent of saving 137,000 gallons of water a year. Material reuse was also a priority in order to reduce waste. Seventy-two percent of existing furniture was reused and countertops as well as floor and wall tiles included recycled content.

According to the USGBC, Harvard has more LEED certifications than any other higher education institution in the world. To date, the University has achieved 78 LEED certifications on campus.

To read a case study of the HMC LEED Gold certification click here.